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How Louisville and Kentucky basketball experience compare to recent NCAA Tournament teams

Since the transfer portal opened in October 2018, college basketball’s top teams have skewed older.

Former U of L and current St. John’s coach Rick Pitino said last month he does not plan to sign any freshmen this recruiting cycle, citing the changing landscape of college basketball. The compounding effects of NIL and the transfer portal remind him of his Euroleague days, where one-year contracts were a common occurrence. He aims to replace experience with experience.

“We’re not recruiting any high school basketball players,” Pitino said. “Because we’re losing Deivon (Smith), Kadary (Richmond) and Aaron (Smith).